Summer Break Is Here!

Please ignore the fact that my fitness plan has nothing to do with soccer.

I took my ACT today at the community college! I think I did a little better on science and a little worse in English than I was expecting. Oh, the suspense.... I wonder what score I made?!

Anyway, that final test marked the conclusion of my sophomore year of high school! Yay! I like school, but it feels great to have tenth grade under my belt... or, under my stretchy waistband. See, I'm wearing Soffe shorts. (Gasp: I just admitted I'm wearing sweats on a fashion blog. Oops. You won't hold it against me, will you? :))

I have a few goals for this summer. Including to work harder on my fitness routine. Which, as of now, is less than 2 hours a week.

So, I enlisted my lovely mom of Bodies on a Budget to make me a two-week exercise plan to get me on the road to success with fitness. (Perks of having a mother with a background in Health Education.)

Monday	40 min. interval training cardio—30 min. treadmill, 5 min. trampoline, 5 min. step	20 min. resistance (arms and abs)
Tuesday	20 min. cardio— 1.7 miles	40 min. resistance—(legs, shoulders, delts, abs)
Thursday	40 min. cardio—run 3 miles; walk the rest.	20 min. resistance (delts, back, traps)
Friday	30 min. cardio—10 min. treadmill, 10 min. tramp, 10 min. step	30 min. resistance (biceps, tris, delts, back)

Isn't she awesome?

So, now I wanna know:

What are your plans, goals, and dreams for this summer?

 

It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good.

Galatians 4:18

 

Love,
Ireland

 

 

CCM Mash-Up // Music Monday

I heard this medley on the radio a while back and LOVED it. I mean, what guy do you know who can sing like Mandisa? And the video is even better. It helped me focus on how lovely their harmonies are. This band has some amazing talent, but what's really wonderful is that they are using their gifts for God.

"Songs of the Year 2014 Mash-Up" by Anthem Lights



 

 

Now that I have rediscovered the perks of having a Spotify account, I have started listening to all four of their albums, the newest being You Have My Heart, which was released earlier this year.

 

As for some of my other favorites? Right now I'm loving "That's What I'm Looking For" and "In The Light", featuring Jamie Grace. Two more amazing songs. And, oh yeah, their Demi Lovato covers are also really cool!

 

I could go on, but that's not really necessary :) .... Your thoughts?

 

 

Love,

Ireland

 

 

You Were Born to Bloom // Outfit Post



Downtown Southport is a beautiful place to be in late spring. Here is a snap of my mom, brother, and me in front of the Maritime Museum (which, in case you're wondering, is the place to learn about the history of Brunswick County. You'll get a solid social studies lesson, along with a few pirate yarns to add relish). Notice the beautiful purple flowers, the black iron fence, and the quaint brick buildings behind us. So pretty.



There is a charming little shop in Southport on the corner of Howe and East Moore called Bull Frog Corner. It's one of those quirky shops, crammed floor-to-ceiling with all kinds of toys, books, beach souvenirs, and candy. In fact, there's a little platform inside that leads to a room filled with everything from maple candies to gummies to chocolate-covered raisins. It's arguably the most intriguing part of the store, and that's saying something, considering there is some kind of merchandise covering every square inch of the place. Today, we got one of Jeffrey's friends a little birthday present from the toy section, and he bought himself a Star Wars staff, which he is holding in the top picture.

 

As we wandered around different places downtown, Mom took pictures of me in this bright pink ensemble. It's been a while since I did a full-on outfit post, and you seemed to enjoy those, so what better time to do another one than today? I decided to wear top-to-bottom neon pink for these shots... have I ever mentioned how much I love color?

  

In Matilda, the kind teacher who eventually adopts the poor orphan girl lives in a lovely little whitewashed house in the forest. This wall reminds me of that mental imagery my mind conjured up when I read that book... it feels so fanciful and romantic.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what you think!

 

Have a blessed day, today and always.

xoxo,

Ireland

Title Credit:

"Bloom" by Moriah Peters

from the album I Choose Jesus

Introduction to Style: Wardrobe Building

Okay. So. Wardrobe building, yeah?

 

First, you need to take a look at your lifestyle. What kind of clothes do you need?

• Where do you live? City, country, somewhere in between?
• What is the weather like there?
• What are your daily activities? School, sports, office job, grocery store runs? Do you travel?
• What kind of events do you attend? You probably don't need anything more formal than some nice dresses for special occasions. You can work your way down from there.
• My example: Where I live, I can use any warm-weather item. While it can get cold in the winter, I don't need too many coats. I need outfits for school, church, babysitting jobs, working out, and going to outdoor events.
• Eighty percent of your closet should be made of basic items that go with all your other clothing. The other things you like make up the other 20 percent.

Learn what you like.

• Do some research on fashion blogs, Pinterest, etc. You could also buy a couple books on fashion. I recommend Seventeen's Ultimate Guide to Style or Lauren Conrad Style. (These books aren't perfect-- not all the outfits are modest, the advice is not infallible, and LC Style has one mild use of language-- but they are really good overall.)
• Go through your closet. Donate or sell what you don't like or don't wear, and examine what you do. What does that say about you and your tastes? When you shop, keep that in mind, and don't buy things that you won't know how to pair with the stuff already in your closet.
• Remember that beauty without modesty isn't really beauty.
• My example: I like clothes that are Audrey-Hepburn-meets-fun-21st-century-teenager on a budget. I like a mix of classic, girly-girl, and creative. I like pretty shoes. And color. I don't like things that are ill-fitting or too "funky" and I don't take huge fashion risks. I generally can tell when something just doesn't work (that is, when it comes to everyday fashion... high fashion is still somewhat foreign to me, although I can appreciate it).
  

   

  
  
• While you're styling outfits, note which pieces you don't have that would really come in handy. Consider purchasing a few of those. (But make sure you don't get into that zone where what you have is not enough, if only you had more options, etc., etc. Not a godly place to be. Remember you already have enough. Talking to myself here as well.)

 

xoxo,

Ireland

 

 

 

I Need A Savior

Hey, all my wonderful blogging friends! I have an incredibly exciting surprise for you today...

 

On Music Monday, I normally post a music video by one of my favorite bands/artists, along with a few lines explaining why I find it so inspiring. But today, I have one of my own songs to play for you. It's called I Need A Savior, and it's about realizing that your only hope is for someone to rescue you, and the only one who can do it is Jesus.

 

 

Love,

Ireland



Introduction to Style: Fashion Basics

 

Okay, so yesterday we talked about hygiene/beauty stuff, and today we're going to talk about actual fashion.
 

Simple Clothing Tips

• Find someone in your life who has more experience with style than you do, and ask for her advice and opinions. I love having my mom as a mentor because she is totally honest if something doesn't work. She helps me cultivate my taste, which is one of the biggest parts of the whole fashion-thing.
• To avoid looking frumpy: be careful with accessories, sweaters/shawls, jeans, long skirts, and secondhand/vintage clothing. I like ALL of these things, as you could easily tell by going through my closet, but just know that they can be tricky. In a future post I plan to discuss how to stay on the chic side of these pieces.
• At first, stick with easy, mix-and-match basics. Concentrate on developing a wardrobe with easy-to-style pieces such as cute, quality tops, great-fitting jeans, and versatile flats. Dresses are also great because they instantly create an all-in-one outfit.
• Buy one complete, fabulous outfit that you know works and then use those pieces with the rest of your closet to create some great looks.
• Doing outfit posts has really helped me learn to style outfits better. If you're so inclined, you could start a blog or a little fashion journal to keep track of the outfits you make that you like. Just right it down, have someone take a picture, and keep it all organized. You might be able to track your improvement in a remarkable way.
• Follow the outfit checklist at the bottom of this post

Outfit Checklist

• Does it fit well?
• Is everything clean and in good shape? (i.e. no stains, relatively wrinkle-free, etc.)
• Do your top, bottoms, shoes, and accessories coordinate together?
• Are you comfortable?
• Do you feel good in these clothes? Do you think you'll feel good all day?

 

This is simple advice, not magic, but maybe it'll give you a little boost?! Let me know. And if you have questions I haven't answered, please ask them! The more specific would probably best.

Tomorrow I will have a post on wardrobe building :)

xoxo,
Ireland


P.S. This advice is obviously not necessary for survival, and you don't have to follow every single tip. When I say you "need" to do something it's probably only in terms of fashion. Anyway, just a reminder that while the way you look and how you dress is important, it is not everything, not even close.
 

Introduction to Style: Health and Beauty Basics

The Basics: What so many girls can benefit from knowing.

In this post, my plan is to talk about how to take care of your appearance, mainly in regards to what culture calls "health and beauty". Why is your appearance important? For one, God wants us to take care of ourselves. Two, we as Christians should take care that we present ourselves in an honorable way, remembering who we represent. Three, it's fun. And four, if we are passionate about something (including fashion/beauty/etc.), we can and should use that passion for Jesus!

I'm not saying you should spend more than ten minutes getting ready in the morning, and I'm not saying you shouldn't. That's best left up to you and God. My goal is for this post to give you...

• a comprehensive overview of how to simply keep yourself well-groomed (not including clothing-- that will be tomorrow's post)

What You Will Need (listed in order of priority).

• Healthy food and clean water.
• Clothing.
• Space to run or work out.
• Body soap.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste.
• Sunscreen
• Something to tame your locks (brush/pick/comb), depending on hair type.
• Face cleanser and face lotion.
• Fingernail clippers and an emery board. Optional: plastic cuticle stick
• Bath sponge, body lotion

{See, it's a simple list-- I absolutely do not think you need to wear makeup and use five hair products every morning. One of the only necessary things we should adhere to in regards to fashion/beauty is keeping ourselves clean and decent.}

STEP ONE: Eat good-for-you foods. (80/20 is a good ratio to consider. You know, eat healthy eighty percent and eat treats for twenty percent of the time. My mom is a health educator by degree; you might find some great tips on her blog.)

STEP TWO: Drink enough water that your pee is always either light yellow or clear. (I'm not being gross; this is science.)

STEP THREE: Exercise regularly, even if for just fifteen minutes a day. They say that kids need one hour and adults need thirty minutes daily, but something is better than nothing. Remember, the goal is simply to be healthy, so once you get in your ideal shape, just try to maintain it. Some simple ideas include running, walking, doing exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, and buying a couple of workout videos. I have one dance video that I've done probably six times and I'm still not bored of it because it's a lot of fun.

STEP FOUR: Take regular showers/baths. Once every other day is probably sufficient, but figure out what works for you. Use a bath sponge on tough areas like your elbows and feet to get the dirt/calluses off. Apply body lotion or sunscreen (depending on if you bathe in the morning or at night) and whenever your skin feels dry.

STEP FIVE: Brush your teeth after you eat breakfast and before you go to bed. Use mouthwash if necessary, and floss once a day.

STEP SIX: Wash your face when you wake up and use a little lotion to moisturize. Apply sunscreen each morning. Before bed, wash your face again and put on a more lotion. (Tip: Don't use body products on your face-- use facial products, which are designed for the more delicate facial skin.)

STEP SEVEN: Keep your hair under control by brushing it in the morning before you leave the house and then again before bed.

STEP EIGHT: Clip and file your finger- and toenails regularly. You don't have to get professional mani-pedis to have nice hands and feet: just keep your nails even in length, your cuticles pushed back (either with a plastic cuticle-stick or with your fingers), and remove your polish when it starts to look ragged.

Keyword: Well-groomed.

Okay, confession: I do not live up to this post. I only wash my face about half the time I should, I rarely ever floss, and my toenail polish is flaking off as we speak. But for the last week or so I have really been trying to do the majority of what I listed here. Want to join in on the challenge? Let me know by writing I'M IN somewhere in your comment.

Also, you might want to save this list and then alter it to fit you and your lifestyle. I used to have a list that I based off of Nancy Rue's The Skin You're In and I taped it to my bookcase, where I saw it on a regular basis. Just an idea!

Comment with any questions, ideas, and suggestions you have on health, beauty, and fitness in general.

Also, let me know what else you would like to see in the "Introduction to Style" series!

xoxo,

Ireland

P.S. Part Two of the Basics post will be posted tomorrow, and it will focus on clothes. This post focused on hygiene/beauty stuff. Also, in case it was insinuated yesterday that this series was purely about fashion, please know that it is not! It is about how to take care of your appearance, from a Christian perspective, and some of the first things to know when it comes to style. I will probably focus on fashion the most, but we're starting from the ground up here, and that means starting with health.